Loretta Elizabeth Lynch[1] (born May 21, 1959) is the 83rd and current Attorney General of the United States, having recently served as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Her tenure as U.S. Attorney began in 2010, and she previously held the position from 1999 to 2001.

Loretta Lynch

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On November 8, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Lynch for the position of U.S. Attorney General, to succeed Eric Holder, who had previously announced his resignation, pending confirmation of his replacement. She was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 26, 2015, and approved by the Senate in a 56 Yea and 43 Nay vote on April 23, thereby becoming the first African-American woman; the second African American, after Holder; and the second woman, after Janet Reno; to hold this office.

Eight Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including the chairman, Chuck Grassley, had opposed Lynch’s confirmation after what Democrats criticized as a record-long delay. Grassley defended delays in holding the vote, saying it was important to gather more information on Lynch’s role in settling an $1.9 billion money-laundering deal with HSBC when she served as US attorney in New York. Republican Senator David Vitter criticized recent admissions by Lynch that she had failed to find out about separate documents revealing HSBC's role in helping clients hide money offshore before agreeing not to prosecute the bank. On April 23, 2015, cloture was invoked on her nomination by a vote of 66 to 34. Her appointment was confirmed the same day by a 56 to 43 vote. Her nomination process was one of the longest in the history of the United States, taking 166 days after she was first nominated for the post.